Intimate Morning Wedding - Botanical Center, Des Moines, Iowa
Hannah + Obi
An early morning, intimate, non traditional wedding, and I don’t want it to be over!
When I first met with Hannah, she told me that they wanted photos that were out of the box and unique and I instantly knew that this couple was a perfect match for my visions I have always wanted to try. We met in February to shoot their engagement session and WOW!…that is all I can say. You just need to check them out here. https://www.kmpphoto.com/blog/2019/3/21/urban-engagement-session
Not only are Hannah and Obi practically models, they are truly the sweetest souls and their love for one another is out of this world! When you look at these photos, you will definitely see the love in their eyes.
Alright, alright, I am not the best writer and I could talk about this magical wedding all day long, so I have asked Hannah to help me out by sharing her and Obi’s love story and some details about wedding planning and how their big day went.
Check it out below!
How did you and Obi meet?
Obi found me on his first day of downloading Bumble and the rest is history! We communicated for a few weeks before meeting in person and after our first date I knew he was The One! It took Obi a few more dates until he knew, but he was quickly on the same train ;) Date #3 he knew he'd met his wife.
How did Obi propose?
Mid-way through the week Obi offered to treat me to a nail appointment with the guise of me being done up for an upcoming event with his work I would be attending with him over the weekend. I thought this was slightly odd, but went with the flow because what girl can say 'no' to fresh nails?! The weekend came and we spent Friday and Saturday in a basketball gym and at a basketball banquet, as Obi coached during alumni weekend. I love sports, so I didn't mind a bit, but by Saturday night I was EXHAUSTED! Obi insisted that he take me out for a special date night, but in my tired mind all I really wanted to do was order pizza from the couch in sweats. But, with his pleading and adorable eyes, he convinced me to agree to date night. He said he would make it extra special by taking me to one of our first date spots. Obi took me to Firebirds in West Des Moines, where he seemed more uneasy than normal. I was intent on looking through the cocktail menu, meanwhile Obi was fidgety, expressing all of his deepest feelings about our relationship to me. Finally, I started to get an inkling that something wasn't quite 'normal.' Before I knew it he slid out of the booth and asked me to stand up with him. At first I thought, "Wait, you begged me to come on a date for us to leave before we even order?!" But that thought was fleeting as soon as he got on one knee and asked me to spend forever with him. Through many tears and excitement I nodded yes and the entire restaurant erupted in cheering and clapping! Little did I know he was so insistent on the date because both of our families (who were in the know about the proposal) were anxiously waiting for FaceTime calls with the big news! The rest of the evening was spent celebrating and me exclaiming over and over, "We're engaged!!!"
How did the wedding planning go?
Our wedding planning was, for the most part, an absolute breeze. We had decided before we were even engaged that we would have an intimate immediate family wedding, which would allow us to cut out the stress, expense, and grueling months of planning. We made our ceremony and wedding weekend with our family highly personalized and incorporated special details for our families, as well as creating ceremony elements that included each of our siblings and parents. We wouldn't change a single thing about how simple we kept everything!
What was your favorite part of your wedding day?
Our favorite part of our wedding day was our first look. Obi prayed over us before we saw each other and then the magical moment came when we saw each other all done up for the first time for our Best Day Ever. It was such a special time together and calmed all of our excited nerves before the ceremony began.
Tell us about any special details that you had at your wedding day.
We customized our wedding ceremony to include details that were not only personal to us, but also incorporated each our three siblings and all four of our parents. We are both incredibly close to our families and wanted them all intimately involved in our most special day. Our youngest sisters lit candles in memory of our grandparents who are no longer with us. Our mothers chose and read Scriptures over us and our marriage. Our dads helped us assemble our very special unity cross, signifying the biblical union of husband and wife through Christ. Our brothers stood in as our 'ring bearers' and handed each of us the other one's ring. Our two eldest sisters were our legal witnesses. We also, at Obi's insisting, wrote our own vows to each other, which was an incredibly special way to express our deepest love to each other. Uniquely, we were married in a sunrise ceremony, which was followed by taking our families to an intimate family-style brunch and then a relaxed and fun-filled afternoon at Smash Park for laughter and games. We had quality time together and no rushing from this scheduled item on the line-by-line to that. The day was perfect from start to finish.
Tell us everything about that AMAZING jumpsuit!
I've always loved being fashion-forward and I've known for years that I didn't want to spend a fortune on something I would were ONE TIME, so I let my love for fashion brain wander. I came up with the idea of a jumpsuit, but wasn't sure how Obi would feel about it. He is incredibly fashion-forward as well, but I wondered if he would be disappointed his bride wasn't in a traditional wedding dress. I remember asking him one day, "How would you feel if I didn't wear a dress to our wedding?" He initially had a very confused look on his face and he said, "Well what else would you wear...?" I excitedly said, "A jumpsuit!" and then showed him some general ideas of what I was thinking so he could have a visual. He immediately said, "Yes! Do it! It's completely you!" (I knew I made the right decision in marrying him ;) ) Once I had the green light, I scoured the internet for any and every white jumpsuit I could find. I ordered a few, but they just weren't right. I was beginning to get a little frustrated and worried i wouldn't find the perfect one in time. This one came in the mail and I nervously opened it, praying I would love it. I unwrapped it, tried it on, and got out my full length mirror. The second I saw it, I started crying (which, after years of watching 'Say Yes to the Dress' I honestly thought this was corny and certainly couldn't be people's actual reaction to trying on THE dress, or in this case THE jumpsuit). But it was real! I LOVED IT!!! And knew instantly it's what I wanted to wear as I married the man of my dreams. And possibly the best part...it cost $78! My mom told me countless times as I was growing up that she only spent $100 on her wedding dress. I thought she was crazy, but guess who has her beat! Our future daughter(s) will have to do some intense bargain shopping if they're going to one-up their mom and grandma ;)
What is one piece of advice you would give other couples about wedding planning?
Obi's knee-jerk response: "Don't invite 20,000 people!" Haha But seriously. KEEP. IT. SIMPLE. You get to live this day one time, so save yourself (and your family, friends and anyone else involved) the stress and money. Spend more time preparing for your forever life together than 24 hours that will be done in a flash. Also, make details of your day personal. Don't cave into societal pressures and expectations. You don't have to have 14 bridesmaids and groomsmen just because. You don't have to serve a 7 course meal because your great-aunt wants you to. It's your day, but more importantly, it's your marriage.
How was working with KMP Photography?
Kendra. Is. Incredible. From the time we shot engagement photos with her, she has blown us away and exceeded every expectation we ever had for our most special photos. She made us feel comfortable and at ease instantly. An incredible thing about Kendra is her vision and amazing artistic abilities. We simply sat back and trusted her with our shoots and she provided the most astounding photo galleries we could have ever hoped for. Anyone who sees our photos cannot stop raving about them, and that is all thanks to Kendra and her insane talent. We are and will continue recommending her to any and everyone who asks about our photos. Obi is already day dreaming about the day we are expecting and can book her for our pregnancy announcement haha. Kendra is incredible and her work is second to none.
